TACOMA – April 7 - The Washington State Historical Society recently added 30 images to its online digital collection, as part of the Marvin Boland photography collection. Marvin Boland was a commercial photographer who worked in Tacoma from 1915 through the late 1930s. His collection provides a rich visual record of Tacoma, a city of vibrant economic, cultural and social activity during that time period.
Thirty images were added to the online digital collection last week, including a photo of Babe Ruth at the Stadium Bowl Field during his Tacoma visit in October 1924. The rest of the 500 digitized images will be added to the online collection over the course of the next year. In all, there are 57 Boland images currently accessible through the Society’s web site. They can be viewed on http://digitum.washingtonhistory.org/boland.php.
The recent addition was made possible by a sponsorship from Memeria, Inc., a Seattle-based company specializing in digitizing non-digital assets for the purpose of preservation.
“This partnership with Memeria has afforded us a great opportunity to offer many additional images from the Boland photography collection, for the future enjoyment of our public audience, via the Society’s online collections,” says Fred Poyner IV, digital assets manager and coordinator for the sponsorship project.
Through their unique house call, photo scanning service, Memeria was able to digitally scan these images on-site at the Washington State History Research Center in Tacoma, eliminating the risk of damage when fragile artifacts are transported.
“Memeria’s whole business is about making history more accessible,” says Memeria president Anthony Miller. “When we looked at the Historical Society’s mission, we saw that we shared similar aims.”
This is the first collection sponsorship agreement of its kind for the Historical Society. For more information about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Fred Poyner IV at (253) 798-5911 or at fpoyner@wshs.wa.gov.
The Society purchased the collection from the Boland estate in 1957. In all, there are more than 63,000 Boland images under the Society’s care, many in the form of nitrate negatives and prints. The Society is constantly working to preserve and present these images for future generations. This digitizing project and the recent completion of the Nitrate Negative Cold Room, especially designed to permanently store these delicate negatives, are part of that ongoing effort.
Boland captured scenes of a bustling Tacoma, photographing logging and milling activities, waterfront activities, various events and street scenes, among others. He was also the official photographer for Fort Lewis during World War I, documenting wartime shipbuilding and home front activities.
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About the Washington State History Museum
The Washington State History Museum, flagship of the Washington State Historical Society, is located
at 1911 Pacific Avenue in downtown Tacoma, just off 1-5. The Washington State History Museum presents
exhibits, programs, and events that bring to life the stories of Washington's history. The Washington State
Historical Society has been dedicated to collecting, preserving, and vividly presenting Washington's rich
and varied history since 1891.
HOURS - Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., with extended hours and free
admission every Thursday night, 5 – 8 p.m.; Sunday NOON – 5 p.m. During the
summer, from Memorial Day through Labor Day, the Museum is open on Mondays from
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
ADMISSION - $25 for families (two adults and up to four children); $8 for adults; $7 for seniors, age 60
and above; $6 for students and military with valid ID; children, age 5 and below, and members are always
FREE.
CONTACT – 1-888-BE THERE,
www.WashingtonHistory.org
Media Contact:
Kimberly Adams
public relations coordinator
Washington State Historical Society
253-798-5877
kadams@wshs.wa.gov